Shoe-lace clasp



(No Model.)

F. A. MORRILL & H. M. WILSON.

SHOE LACE CLASP. No. 391,330. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

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Q Vivkme was zaw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC FRANK ARMINGTON MORRILL AND HENRY MORSE WILSON, OF SOMERSET,

' MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-LACE CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 391,330, dated October 16, 1888.

Application filed June 22, 1:88. Serial No. 277,906.

To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that we, FRANK ARMINGTON MoRRILL and HENRY MoRsE WiLsoN, (-i l izmis of the United States, residing at Somerset, in

5 the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lace-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

Ourinvention relates to alaee-clasp suitable IO to be employed on shoes, gloves, &c., to fasten the end ofa lace without the necessity oftying; and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement of parts, fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanying t5 drawings, wherein Figure l is a view of a shoe provided with the improved clasp, in which is engaged the end of the lace. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the clasp removed from the shoe. Fig.

3 is a section of the same.

Referring to the drawings by letter, theimproved clasp is composed entirely of wire, and is formed of a single piece; and it consists, mainly, of the approximate parallel side arms,

A A, and the intermediate integral tongue. B. The said tongue consists of a loop having the parallel sides b b, the outer ends of which are connected by the bend b, and the inner ends of the said sides I) b are connected to the inner 3o ends of the side arms, A A, by the bends a a.

These bends are flattened horizontally to enable them to lie close to the shoe and also give the sides of the tongue greater torsional elas ticity. The sides of the tongue are depressed slightly below the plane of the side arms, A, and the outer end of the tongue is turned up slightly for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The outer ends of the side arms, A A, are provided with the angular extensions or points 0 G, which are passed through the ma- (No model.)

terial of the shoe or glove and bent over on the inner side thereof to secure the clasp in place.

The lace D is engaged in the clasp by passing a loop thereof under the tongue B and drawing it inward until it is received in the bends a cat the base or inner end of the tongue, the said bends being enlarged slightly to more readily engage the lace. The end of the tongue is turned up to enable the lace to be readily engaged thereunder,and the sides of the tongue are depressed below the plane ofthe side arms, A A, to cause the portions of the lace which pass between the adjacent sides and arms to be bent abruptly, so that there will be no liability of slipping.

It will be evident that with this clasp a lace, string, or cord, whether flat or round, may be engaged and securely held without tying, and, being formed of a single piece of wire, it may be very cheaply manufactured.

Having thus described the invent-ion, we claim- The herein described lace clasp,consisting of the side arms, A, provided with the extensions 0 at their outer ends, and the flattened bends a at their inner ends, and the curved tongue B, bendin inward to a plane below the side arms and then curving gradually outward to the outside of the arms, so that it makes one continuous curve from the flat ends to its point b and crosses the plane in which the side arms lie, substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK ARMlNGlON MORRILL. HENRY MORSE WILSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK M. TRALFTON, JOSEPHINE L. RIDLoN. 

